


Risorgimento 5--Reconnecting

by obi_ki, padawanewan



Series: Risorgimento [5]
Category: Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: New Republic Era - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Reality, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-04-03
Updated: 2014-04-03
Packaged: 2018-01-18 02:24:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,376
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1411480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/obi_ki/pseuds/obi_ki, https://archiveofourown.org/users/padawanewan/pseuds/padawanewan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan use joint mediation to help them decide where to go from here and some unexpected companions join them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

  
Authors: obi-ki and padawanewan

Pairing: Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan

Rating: PG-13

Catacory: Q/O AU

Time Period: About 20 years post ABY

Disclaimer: Everything Star Wars belongs to George Lucas and Lucasfilms. I am just playing in his world, borrowing the boyz and their accomplices and will return them all when I'm through. No money is being made from this, it is all done for entertainment only.  
Author's notes: This is the fifth story in the Risorgimento series and is the third segment that was totally co-written and as such and is told from both Qui-Gon's and Obi-Wan's POVs. Thanks to Monalee and Merry Amelie for their through betas and throughtful suggestions. The story would be much less without their valuable input. Sorry it's taken so long to get this part posted, RL has been absolutely hideous for both of us.

Summary: Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan use joint mediation to help them decide where to go from here and some unexpected companions join them. 

Feedback: Feedback is treasured in any way, shape or form, either in comments or through email to kiowkqgj@yahoo.com or padawanewan@gmail.com 

********************************************  
When the door slid completely closed, Qui-Gon took a few steps into the hydroponics garden. The ceiling of the room was covered with lighting fixtures, thousands of bright bulbs shining their light and heat on the growing things below. 

Row upon row of glass containers sat balanced in spotless steel racks with rocks, soil or water and a variety of different plants loaded into each one. In green, yellow, orange, red and purple, the assortment of colors filling the bowls was as riotous as any real garden. Purple acid-beets burrowed into the tiny rock base of one bowl and the roots of yellow balka leaves floated in the crystal clear water of another. Burmillet grew in tidy rows filling one whole section of racks while orange gufta roots contrasted the tan rocks filling three large cylinders. Red avedame fruits hung from the branches of the fungus-covered dwarf tree sitting in one corner and pink mattberries covered a cluster of deep-green plants resting in a matching container. 

Across the room stood a cluster of aquariums with an assortment of edible sealife that would have made the chef of one of Coruscant's most exotic eateries proud. Schools of brightly colored Dantooine garfish swam through waves of pale green algae in the largest one, while small grey Bimmisaari dart fish moved alongside pink Mon Calamari glottlefish in another. 

Moving deeper into the enclosure, Qui-Gon took in the massive variety of plants growing here, feeling great relief there wasn't a chorba plant in sight. Nestled between the plant-filled racks and the transparisteel aquariums was a circular-tiled space with a wrought iron bench. A small rock pond sat at the edge, water trickling over an array of rock-shelves before being pumped back to circulate through again. 

The Living Force sang through the area, its artificial creation doing nothing to dim the living things within. Turning to Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon breathed in deeply and smiled. "When I asked for a garden, I never expected this." 

After taking in the life around him, Obi-Wan turned to Qui-Gon. "I think, for you, this should work nicely, my Living Force Master. For myself…" He gestured to the tiled-patch on the floor. "We need to meditate and I need to feel the Unifying Force."

After settling, Obi-Wan reached out and touched Qui-Gon's hands. "I think we should do this together, Master. Qui-Gon, I have a feeling about this. I feel that this is a Moment, if you will."

Without taking his hands from Obi-Wan's, Qui-Gon dropped to his knees and settled back to rest on his heels. "It's obvious that this place was made for meditation and, if the story Var-Son has told us is the truth, it was definitely made for Jedi and may have been created for you and me." Taking a series of deep, calming breaths, he looked at the man before him and smiled. "For you it may have been many years since we were together this way, but for me it was barely yesterday. Let's join our minds, my Padawan, and allow the Force to show us the path that we should walk." 

"Odd you should mention that, my Master. My Padawan and I could meditate together, but we never had the same connection as you and me." He nodded at the rest of Qui-Gon's words. "I feel you may be correct. This place does have a distinctly meditative décor." 

Obi-Wan closed his eyes and relaxed his breathing. He needed this and the connection with Qui-Gon to ground him.

Releasing Obi-Wan's hands, Qui-Gon rested his hands on his knees, palms down, closed his eyes and opened himself to the currents of the Living Force. As the comfort of the Force surrounded him, he reached for Obi-Wan, uniting their Force auras into a blended state that had become second nature to them over the years. The pattern was so familiar, so soothing, that within a matter of minutes his breathing had slowed and his mind has settled. 

As they sank deeper into meditation, the power of the Living Force within Qui-Gon was balanced by the strength of the Unifying Force within Obi-Wan. The Force moved within them, creating the beginnings of a connection where moments ago none had existed. The process was in some ways similar to how their master/padawan bond had blossomed spontaneously during their life-altering mission to Bandomeer but in other ways it was totally different. This was the meeting of two adult minds, with the knowledge and experiences gained over the years. It was powerful, almost orgasmic, and Qui-Gon found himself engulfed in the brilliance of their connection.

This was the warmth that had been missing in this cold, lonely place. As they slid deeper into their meditation, Obi-Wan felt as if a portion of his soul was shared. It was as if the part that had vanished with Qui-Gon's death had begun to rekindle. Even this deeply into his meditative state, Obi-Wan knew he still wasn't whole, but it was a damn good beginning.

As the mental connection between Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan deepened, the air around them became energized and, unbeknownst to the kneeling men, two silhouettes of hazy blue materialized. The forms were shimmering and iridescent but, as they coalesced, became clearly recognizable images of the men they stood beside. Qui-Gon's spectral image was a virtual duplicate of the kneeling form - sections of the long hair tied back, angular face, wide brow, strong bearded chin, tall and muscular frame. The only variation between the cloned form and its misty counterpart was the bump on the blue-tinged nose. 

The spectral image of Obi-Wan first appeared as the Padawan he had once been. Then, it flickered and manifested into his form as a young Knight. He simply could not decide how best to present...himself. Hazy shoulders shrugged and Obi-Wan shifted back into a nicely glowing Padawan Learner. Now he was the Padawan this breathing Qui-Gon would remember. He had the standard padawan hairstyle with a waist-length braid, a clean-shaven face and was clothed in full Jedi regalia. His eyes twinkled with a near unholy glee as he glanced at the two deeply meditating Jedi.

Leaning against one of the tanks, with his arms and booted ankles crossed, as well as a Force-ghost could, Obi-Wan gestured to the breathing versions of themselves as he addressed his lover and soulmate of many life times. "So, Qui-Gon, care to make a wager on the length of time it takes for long, tall and sexy to shag my ever so quiet and agreeable counterpart?"

Even after all their years together both as corporeal beings and within the Force, Qui-Gon could still be shocked by Obi-Wan's wretched sense of humor. Forget about the implications of them having been cloned by a rather unorthodox scientist; forget about the fact their clones had been reanimated well into the future. None of those things seemed to be a concern for his mischievous partner; Obi-Wan's first thought was about sex. 

Trying to look stern, Qui-Gon scolded his ghostly padawan. "Not on your life. I can only imagine what type of subterfuge you would engage in with your corporeal counterpart to win that bet. At this point, you should be more concerned with how we can help them acclimate themselves to their situation and not on how soon they will become intimate." The stern look faded a little and he smiled. "Plus, I expect that Master Kenobi will be the aggressor in any activities that end in the bedroom." 

Rolling his glowing eyes, Obi-Wan sighed. "You simply don't want to lose. I wouldn't need to help things along at all." He shrugged again and grinned. "They honestly are meant for each other, as you came to realize when I joined you here." Glancing over at his own corporeal self, Obi-Wan then turned back to Qui-Gon and, with a raised eyebrow, he replied in a tone that spoke of a definite promise for later. "That man kneeling there would be General Kenobi, lover. I'll introduce you in a bit." With a wink, he went on. "Wait until Masterly over there finds out how commanding this embodiment of his old padawan can be."

Looking between the two real men kneeling in front of him, Qui-Gon's spirit fought valiantly to suppress his smile. The willfulness and stubborn determination that had flourished within him during his adult life had labeled him as a maverick to the Jedi Council and most of his peers, and he couldn't argue that the label wasn't rightly deserved. But in their later years together, Obi-Wan had repeatedly counseled him to rein in his tendency to 'listen to the will of the Force' especially when it went against the will of the Council, marking the almost-knight as a strict rule-follower rather than a rule-breaker like his master. 

But from his lofty position within the heart of the Force, Qui-Gon had watched his former padawan grow and develop into his own man, one who bore many similarities to his former master. From Knight Kenobi to General Kenobi to Master Kenobi to Old Ben, Obi-Wan had learned to follow his own instincts, both when direction from the Council was unavailable and when he recognized it should be unheeded. As he had watched that growth, he had come to understand these changes in the man Obi-Wan was and had easily accepted that modified person when they had finally come together within the Force.

But his current corporeal counterpart had not had the opportunity to view the events and hardships that had changed Obi-Wan, and he was pretty sure this Qui-Gon was going to have a difficult time coming to terms with the reality of General Obi-Wan Kenobi, hero of the Clone Wars. The smile he'd been fighting shone brightly in his translucent eyes. "I do expect that acclimating to the strength of General Kenobi's personality will require some adjustment on Qui-Gon's part." The light in his eyes got even brighter. "Maybe I'll need to derive a means to offer my assistance to Master Jinn in this endeavor." 

Obi-Wan waved a ghostly hand in annoyance and sighed. "You're only trying to get my arse in a strop by 'suggesting' you help your friend there." He glanced around the room and shuddered, while murmuring, "So glad I no longer have to eat living things for sustenance." He most assuredly did not miss that part of being alive, especially since in his ethereal state he had not only Qui-Gon and the Force, but also enjoyed the incredible sex. 

Glancing back at the living Jedi, Obi-Wan grinned with a near evil glee. He turned back to his lover trying for an innocent look before giving that up as a lost venture. "You know, lover, we could send them a few hints of some of the things they're missing - a bit of subliminal pornography, if you will."

Once again, forty years of being fully joined with Obi-Wan should have more than prepared him for the man's sometimes off-color sense of humor, but again Qui-Gon found himself wide-eyed in surprise. "I think they're more than capable of working through any impediments to sexual intimacy on their own," he countered when he had regained his composure. His smile broadened as he added, "We did. Although we did have the benefit of a rather potent push from the Force." 

He turned back to look at the pair, who remained totally oblivious to being discussed. "As I said before, I think our counsel would be better spent getting them acclimated to this time and place and to one another." 

"Yes," Obi-Wan agreed with a weary sigh. It was a faked weariness, for form's sake. He did agree that mission plans overrode all else. Despite his time in the Force, Obi-Wan would always be a Jedi, to his very soul, it seemed.

Moving away from the wall, Obi-Wan's features morphed until he became a mirror image of the General currently meditating. He looked at Qui-Gon, "Back to business, then. We'll have plenty of time later for tormenting General Stick-Up-His-Arse and Dense Master."

Fighting a smile at the description, Qui-Gon walked over to his kneeling counterpart, stood slightly behind him, and placed his translucent hands gently on the Jedi master's shoulders. Turning back to his lover, he quipped, "Though some gentle prodding as we are helping them to adjust would not be remiss." 

Still deep within his meditation, cloned Qui-Gon stirred at the contact, aware that something had changed but unsure of what it was. He reached deeper into the Force, drawing on its strength as he touched Obi-Wan's mind, touching the of the connection they sought to rebuild. With gentle strokes, he gathered filaments from his Force aura, stretching and strengthening them as he drew them into Obi-Wan's mind. He placed the ends against the connector their initial mental contact had created, sealing them together with a pulse of the Force, before retreating into his own mind to wait for Obi-Wan. 

The ghostly figure of Obi-Wan nodded and then moved behind the living version of himself. He glanced over at Qui-Gon and whispered a blessing in the tongue of his homeworld, "Mi gràdh thu fhèin, mo cridhe. leig a' Jedi creid." (I love you, my heart. Let the Jedi believe.) Laying his glowing hands gently on the kneeling Jedi master's shoulders, Obi-Wan whispered, "We come to you both in love and peace. We are part of you. We are your spirits and your souls. You will come to know this soon."

The living version of Obi-Wan Kenobi felt two things. He felt a warm reassurance come from within the Force and the tug of his former master trying to reconnect with him. Eagerly he wove strands from his own aura into the link and, drawing strength from the Unifying Force, he completed the connection.

Home.

Obi-Wan softly and tentatively reached out with his mind. //Qui-Gon?//

It was only a matter of moments before Qui-Gon felt Obi-Wan reaching back, using his own power to bridge the gap between their minds. The connection solidified with each passing second the Force flowed through it. Not quite what they'd had before but a solid link, something that would strengthen and grow as he got to know this older incarnation of his beloved padawan, 

Finally, it came to him - the barest whisper in a voice that had been silent since his awakening. Benediction, entreaty and plea all in one, and Qui-Gon felt his heart soar. //Obi-Wan//, he returned the same way, sending the call along with all the feelings the reconnection brought with it. 

The Force sang sweetly between them and Qui-Gon sank deeper into its flow. It was evident that the Force was in favor of their reestablished connection and was strengthening it with every breath and beat of their hearts. 

As they drifted along within the currents of the Force, their ethereal counterparts remained standing behind them, augmenting their mental union as the link solidified. They surfaced from their meditation after an undefined amount of time, matching expressions of serenity on both of their faces. As their eyes opened, the blue shadows behind them faded back into the embrace of the Force with one last wash of support to the clones. 

Qui-Gon smiled at Obi-Wan, allowing his joy at their reestablished link to permeate the bond. "Well, that was a productive session," he said, repeating a phrase that he had used often during Obi-Wan's apprenticeship. Glancing over at the chrono as he rose to his feet, he reached out a hand to Obi-Wan. "Though a long one. I think we should call it a night and get some sleep." 

Nothing short of a planetary war could have ruined the feeling of sheer joy that having Qui-Gon back in Obi-Wan's mind created. The bond wasn't back to its former strength but he had a feeling this was the mere beginning of things to come.

Obi-Wan smiled as he took Qui-Gon's hand and stood. "Indeed, Master Jinn. This was a most fruitful and productive beginning." He sent his happiness across the bond.

"I suppose now would be the time to find the good healer, get my damned 'saber and some rest." Obi-Wan wanted to insure that Qui-Gon understood they were equals at this moment and going forward. He was not asking for direction, however, he would be polite. He was and would always be a diplomat not to mention that he loved the man.

Obi-Wan's tone and word choice made it clear that he was not asking Qui-Gon's opinion of the matter. He was just sharing his, and Qui-Gon found that small distinction rather unsettling. "I expect that Var-Son has been abed for quite a while." Stepping through the biodome door, he added, "I, for one, need sleep. Morning will be soon enough to continue our conversation with Ser Meirr." 

With a nod, Obi-Wan followed him and they headed back towards the living quarters. It appeared for a moment that Obi-Wan was going to say something as they reached his door, but he remained silent except for his comment of, "I'll see you in the morning." 

It took willpower for Obi-Wan not to ask that he remain with Qui-Gon. He never wanted to let his lost love out of his sight again. However, Obi-Wan also knew he needed to rest and regain his balance.

Qui-Gon left his former padawan at the door to his room with a wish of, "Goodnight, Obi-Wan. Sleep well," and then proceeded to his own room. He took a few minutes in the refresher before stripping out of his clothing and heading for the bed. 

As he turned back the covers, he found a personal datapad resting against the pillow - the type someone would use to keep a private journal. It had obviously been left there by their host. Qui-Gon looked at it for a moment before setting it on the bedside table. Putting his thoughts about this entire ordeal into written form might be a good way to work through them. But that would be something for morning, since right now he needed sleep more than anything else. 

After he entered his quarters and the door silently slid shut behind him, Obi-Wan leaned against the door and whispered, "Don't let this be a dream." He pushed away from the door and noticed a datapad. Upon examination, it proved to be much like the private journal he'd kept as a padawan.

Obi-Wan quickly changed into sleep pants and sat on the bed. Picking up the journal, he began to write.

TBC


	2. Risorgimento - The Journal of the Jedi General

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Obi-Wan puts down his thoughts

This section was written by padawanewan

**********  
All the most wonderful tales start with some beautiful or witty beginning. 

One does want to impress. 

I am. 

I exist. 

I remember. 

I feel. 

I don't want to go on and on about being a decanted copy of the 'original' Obi-Wan. Yes, I am a damned clone. However, I am also Obi-Wan Kenobi and all that implies. 

The memories are real and haunting. 

Is this a dream, I wonder? Will I wake to Tatooine and find this was all a fantasy? 

My fantasies, in the past, have been both a curse and a blessing. The fantasies have given me a hope for the future and not a few embarrassing moments in my youth. I had and still do a very detailed one involving Qui-Gon and a beach of warm sand with azure water lapping at our very intertwined bodies. 

I was nearing my seventeenth name day when I realized my feelings ran deeper than awe for a master and the platonic love I knew I had for him, as his padawan. Zharix was not a planet one would call any lovelier than a few more that I could name, however our visit to it did afford a bit of down-time. We were between missions and had attended a local gathering. Even so, this was no grand and glorious moment of epiphany. No ethereal music or shaking limbs. Master danced with me and was singing along with a song I had heard him listen to often. This time he looked at me. I knew it in my soul and the Force. My sense of prescience was whispering one thing: This was the One -had been and always would be. 

Well, that romantic thought and the simple fact I was seventeen and he was seriously the most sexually compelling being I have ever met. Still is. 

Best not think in that direction. Yet. Plans must be made and objectives defined. 

My stars. I sound like finding my beloved and asking him to be mine is a military campaign to be waged. 

Well. 

Priorities, Jedi. 

First we go back to Padawan Basics, as Master would so 'kindly' point out with No Sarcasm. 

What is our situation? Where are we headed? Why the anomalies in our Force signatures and echoes? Where is my fucking lightsaber? 

Patience, Jedi. 

Remember, this is the opening salvo. The battle, as it were, has just begun and you've no real information. 

This is a rambling cock-up of a journal entry, but thinking aloud-ish is helping to clarify my thoughts a bit. 

I am determined to change one very important difference in my personal life. Master Yoda once told me, the thing that held me from being as perfect a Jedi as possible, my flaw, was my attachment to Qui-Gon. In the eyes of the Order I lived and apparently died for; I was a flawed creature. I failed. This idea is no longer allowed or acceptable to me. I know with a certainty in my soul and the Force that their reasoning was flawed and failed. How can love be wrong? I do not love with pettiness or darkness. Qui-Gon taught me compassion and acceptance. His caring for me allowed that I might find it in myself to care for others. How could that ever be wrong? 

I rather think, for all the good we did as an Order, we did worse to ourselves. 

I also think of part of my current situation as this. If you had one shot, one opportunity to seize everything you ever wanted. One moment. Would you capture it or just let it slip away? I was trained by the best and worked to be the best. Reticence and a willingness to let opportunity slip by has only ever happened for one thing, in my previous incarnation. That one thing is now within reach. Qui-Gon. 

Some revelations about the past are also in order, I believe, as well. Best Qui-Gon knows that although I loved him, I was not shattered by his loss. I did my duty. 

I am beginning to sense a simmering love and desire, in him, for me. 

This is our chance. 

Love, Jedi. 

Peace, Jedi. 

Sleep, Jedi. 

To sleep, perchance to dream- vividly and with nakedness.


	3. The Personal Journal of QGJ

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Qui-Gon records his thoughts and feelings

In spite of my physical exhaustion, I only managed a few hours of sleep and it was still well before morning when I finally gave up the attempt and picked up this journal. I have always found putting my thoughts and feelings into written form a sort of catharsis; a means of looking at events from an observer's vantage point rather than from the cradle within. With all that's occurred over the past few days, you'd think it would be easy to put my thoughts down. But I'm finding it more difficult than I expected so I guess I'll need to break it down into smaller segments. 

First and foremost among all the revelations is the fact that I am a clone. Such an incredible notion when you really think about it. My physical form is an authentic copy of Qui-Gon Jinn, DNA replicated down to the tiniest of chromosomes. My blood contains a matching quantity of midi-chlorians, recreating the ability to direct and draw upon the currents of the Force. The mind within this body has been infused with the knowledge of Qui-Gon Jinn's experiences and abilities but this body did not live through the experiences that formed the man who lived so many years ago. 

In spite of what my mind and memories want to insist, I am not the Qui-Gon Jinn who was brought to the Temple at the age of fourteen months after being discovered by a seeker in a foundling's home on Bestine. I am not the Qui-Gon who trained in the Bear Clan with Master Yoda, became the apprentice of Master Dooku, fought in the Stark Hyperspace Wars, lost Xanatos to the Dark Side or trained Obi-Wan Kenobi to knighthood. Even with all my recollections of those events and thousands of others, I am but a replica of that man. 

But knowing that intellectually does not change my memories of the events. I can still hear the sizzle as Xanatos pressed Crion's ring to his cheek, feel Obi-Wan's resolve when he offered his own life to save mine on Bandomeer, feel Dooku's displeasure as I questioned his decisions on Lianna. Endless moments, in a life lived in the fullness of the Force, each etched into my memory in exquisite detail. 

How is it possible that I remember a life that this body did not live, Var-Son's explanations not withstanding? I am not a scientist. I am a man who lives in the moment and trusts in the Force to direct me. Why would the Force allow my recreation and what purpose will my being here in this time and place serve? It's a conundrum, one that I wonder if I'll ever really come to terms with. 

Second are the events that have transpired in the fifty-five years since my last actual memory. Even told in the dry form of academic texts, the horror of that reality was immense. The Republic destroyed, the Jedi Order eradicated, both events manipulated by the man trusted to care for the galaxy's citizens. Obi-Wan and Anakin in the center of the action and the boy trained from my dying plea making Obi-Wan live through a betrayal of the worst kind. 

Again I wonder what the Force has in mind, why it would bring me to this time and place so far removed from my life? Am I expected to do penance for the path I helped to set into motion by taking Anakin Skywalker from Tatooine or is there some greater plan that I am to be a participant in? Var-Son claims he continued his work to atone for his part in Palpatine's empire, but why me? Why Obi-Wan? What does he think two Jedi will be able to do to help Anakin's son reestablish the Jedi Order? And why is the Force going along with it? 

And third, but in no way least in all of this is Obi-Wan, himself. So unlike the boisterous and spirited young man who shared the last twelve years of my life, the pain of the events retold in the history tomes is visibly obvious in this older Obi-Wan. The weight of his experiences lines his face, eyes clouded by the recollections of the traumas he lived and the betrayal he faced. But along with that pain is a confidence and assertiveness that was lacking in the younger version. The padawan who stood at my side has been completely eclipsed by the Jedi master he grew to become. No longer looking to me for guidance, Obi-Wan is self-assured and confident, if not a bit restrained, as if he fears he's dreaming and will wake up to find himself alone in the barren wastes of Tatooine. 

That's another why that seems to have no answer. Why did the Force allow Var-Son's experiments to finally achieve success with myself and Obi-Wan? From what the healer said, there were many prior attempts, using the DNA of many Force-sensitive individuals, that were unsuccessful. One of a Jedi's core beliefs is that nothing occurs randomly; there is no such thing as luck. Everyone has a path that they are destined to travel and, although events can be influenced by individual actions, everything is part of a greater plan. So why us? What does the Force hope to accomplish by allowing our rebirth? 

For a moment, I allow my mind to drift back to last night's joint meditation. It was easy to fall back into the familiar pattern, to slip into the Force together and allow it to bathe our minds and hearts in its soothing currents. But looking at it now from outside the moment, there was something else surrounding us, augmenting the essence of the Force and strengthening the link we were splicing back together. Whatever or whoever it was, was within the depth of the Force but also outside of it, an echo of familiarity in the almost imperceptible touch. Another event for which there are more questions than answers. 

Focusing on the filaments of the bond that we so recently reestablished, I can sense Obi-Wan's presence a few corridors away. The link is still delicate and fragile, much more frail than the substantial connection we shared during the final years of Obi-Wan's apprenticeship. The familiar quicksilver quality of his mind is still evident but it's tempered by the maturity expected in a seasoned master. The same but different and this difference is one that I expect will take me quite bit of time to adjust to, though I have no doubt it will be a very interesting journey. 

Delving cautiously along the threads, I can sense Obi-Wan's concentration and a hint of his emotions. If I had to guess I'd say he's also thinking about our current situation and wondering about the hows and whys and wherefores just as I am. I sense traces of caution, curiosity and apprehension much like my own, but I also catch a wisp of something I don't expect - love and desire. 

I can only guess how long I stared at the datapad after sensing Obi-Wan's emotions. The feelings catch me off-guard and I find myself at a loss at how to react. It's not that I never envisioned the possibility of more between us after Obi-Wan's knighting, I just never expected Obi-Wan would consider it. Yes, I daydreamed about the possibility and even fantasized about it once in a while, but I never seriously considered that my devastatingly sexy, twenty-five-year-old padawan would have any romantic interest in his fifty-five-year-old master. 

Are these feelings something that existed back when he served at my side or are they something that developed later, after my death? Is what I sensed just an echo of old feelings or do these desires still exist? Even in this, I am besieged with more questions than answers. Reluctantly, I pull back from the connection, my mind awhirl with the additional revelation. 

The chrono shows that there are still three hours before I'm supposed to meet Var-Son and Obi-Wan for first meal and another round of question and answer so I think I'll try to get a little more sleep. Who knows, maybe the Force will magically supply the answers to all while I sleep. Or maybe, it will bless me with dreams of Obi-Wan, taking a role that he has only previously filled in my most secret fantasies.


End file.
